The ancestors truly responsible
for Western Civilization
They are me
I feel their presence

The bodies of deep ebony and eyes
of fire who lay entrapped in a
nautical craft of deterioration,
depression, and disorientation
They are me
I feel their presence

Those beaten, lynched, murdered,
obliterated because of disbelief
in Eurocentric ideals

They are me
I feel their presence

To my brothers and sisters
deleted from the pages of history
to allow me to believe Europeans
were responsible for the discovery
of a land mass of alleged freedom,
justice, inalienable rights, and
equality. . .
concepts which obviously
exclude me

All are me

I feel their presence

Attempting to attain these ideals
. . . our civil rights. Rosa Parks,
Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, a man
called King, and the countless
number of unknown heroes and
heroines of the movement
All are me
I feel their presence

The brothers and sisters of
South Africa denied the right
to be human beings because of
pigmentation
All are Me
I feel their presence

My father, my brother, and my son
My mother, my sister, my daughter

Trials and tribulations
Tragedy and triumph
Set me free
Within myself
For all are me
I feel their presence

This magazine is produced by the Write Place and is funded through a St. Cloud State University (St. Cloud, Minnesota) Cultural Diversity Committee allocation.
Contributors retain all rights to their work.